The Editorial gives an introduction to the general topic of the journal issue ("Up in the air - down to earth. Evaluating airport impacts") as well as an outlook on each of the articles: a)economic impacts of airport operations and expansions b)effects of flight noise immissions on real estate prices c) Implications of short-term Cargo Collapses on European Airports d) development potentials of Airport Cities e) small airports and land use planning: the example of Wels